Cable winding apparatus for cable drums of sewer cleaning machines



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Sept. 6, 1966 c. J. PRANGE CABLE WINDING APPARATUS FOR CABLE DRUMS OFSEWER CLEANING MACHINES Filed March 6, 1964 e], flan/vane,

Ema/945s INVENTOR.

Hrram/Eg Sept. 6, 1966 c. J. PRANGE 3,270,982

CABLE WINDING APPARATUS FOR CABLE DRUMS OF SEWER CLEANING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1964 INVENTOR. 5% nzb fi United StatesPatent 3 270 982 CABLE WINDING APPARATUS FOR CABLE DRUMS 0F SEWERCLEANING MACHINES Charles J. Prange, Lima, Ohio, assignor to FlexibleSgyertool Corporation, Lima, Ohio, a corporation of Filed Mar. 6, 1964,Ser. No. 349,965 9 Claims. (Cl. 242158.3)

This invention relates generally to even-winding apparatus for cabledrums, and in particular to cable winding apparatus as used in sewercleaning machines for operating a drag bucket for removing accumulateddebris from a sewer.

The general object of the invention is to provide a cable guideapparatus for even winding of the cable on its drum. With this generalobject in mind, the invention aims to provide such a cable guideapparatus wherein:

(1) The cable, in extending to the drum from a guide pulley, passesthrough a guide which is reciprocated in a path parallel to the axis ofthe drum, such as to guide the cable back and forth from one end of thedrum to the other and return, at a rate of speed which is related to therotation of the drum so as to lay the cable evenly in adjacent coilsupon the drum.

(2) The guide preferably embodies a pair of flanged rollers betweenwhich the cable can travel with minimal resistance, and which embracethe cable to retain it captive while guiding it in successive traversesof the drum.

(3) The guide rollers are mounted on a carriage which includes afollower element geared to a double helix scroll shaft or worm whichdrives the carriage in reciprocating movements.

(4) The scroll shaft is driven by a geared connection to the drum so asto rotate in timed relation to the rotation of the drum.

(5) In one embodiment, the cable is jointly carried by the drive shaftand a guide rail parallel thereto, so as to maintain the guide properlyoriented with respect to the cable while executing its traversingmovements.

(6) In this embodiment, the scroll shaft and guide rail are carried byor suspended in a swing which permits the guide to follow the movementsof the cable radially with respect to the drum as the diameter of thewindings on the drum varies in accordance with the number of turns ofcable that are wound on the drum. Also, in this embodiment, the swing ishung upon a countershaft through which the drive is transmitted from thedrum to the scroll shaft.

(7) In another embodiment, the scroll shaft is mounted in a yoke whichswings about the drum axis so that 'the guide may swing concentricallyaround the drum to follow the shifting of the cable as the turns areincreased upon the drum; and the guide carriage is free to pivot aroundthe scroll shaft so as to maintain the guide rollers in proper alignmentwith the cable.

(8) The guide apparatus is of relatively simple construction yet sturdyand positive in operation.

(9) The guide apparatus will completely eliminate fouling and unevenwinding of the cable on the drum.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuingspecification and appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable winding apparatus exemplifyingone form of my invention as embodied in drag bucket machine;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the cable drum andwinding guide portions thereof;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the winding guide apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the guide unit;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the winding guide apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the winding guide apparatus,viewed as indicated by the arrow 6 in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 with aportion thereof broken away and shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to FIGS. 15,I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, a cable winding apparatus, comprising, in general, adrum A, a support B associated therewith, a countershaft C carried bythe support B, a swing D mounted on the countershaft C, and a guide unitE carried by the swing D and cooperating with the cable F for guildingthe same as it is wound upon the drum A.

The cable wind apparatus can be applied to various types of sewercleaning machines including the drag bucket machine shown in FIG. I,truck loaders such as that shown in my Reissue Patent No. 24,908, andother drag bucket machines. The bucket machine shown by way of Examplein FIG. 1 may include a wheel mounted truck G, a derrick arch H havingadjustable feet to stand adjacent a sewer I, the cable drum A forwinding the cable F which is passed over a sheave I carried by the upperend of the derrick arm H and thence downwardly into the sewer I, and anengine and transmission unit K for driving and controlling the cabledrum A. The supporting frame B in this instance may comprise a pair oflaterally spaced brace bars extending diagonally between the truck G andthe derrick arch H and secured thereto at their respective ends.

In this embodiment of the invention, the countershaft C has itsrespective ends journalled in brackets 10 secured to the respectivebrace bars B and depending therefrom. The swing D comprises a pair ofhanger arms 11 each pivotally mounted at its upper end upon a respectiveend portion of countershaft C, depending therefrom and having at itslower end, a respective mounting flange 1-2. Hanger arms 11 (FIG. 5) arespaced inwardly from brackets 10 and maybe retained in position byspacer sleeves 13 on the respective ends of countershaft C, and byopposed retainer collars 14 secured on the shaft.

Attached to the mounting flanges 12 are pillow block bearings 15. Adouble-helix scroll shaft or worm 16 has its respective ends journalledin the respective bearings 15. A guide bar 17 likewise has its endsmounted in the pillow blocks 15 in spaced parallel relation to thescroll shaft 16.

Guide unit E comprises a follower carriage 20 having a cylindrical bore21 in which the scroll shaft 16 is rotatably received and having afollower pin 22 engaged in the double-helix worm groove 23 of the scrollshaft 16 for causing the carriage 20 to reciprocate axially upon theshaft 16 in response to rotation thereof. Carriage 20 has a secondcylindrical bore 24, spaced from the bore 21, and slidably receivingthe, guide bar 17. Thus, the carriage 20 is slidably mounted on andsupported by the scroll shaft 23 and guide bar 17, oriented in a planesubstantially at right angles to the hanger arms 11.

Mounted upon the carriage 20 is a roller bracket 25 which has a forwardface generally parallel to the plane of arms 11 and carrying a pair offorwardly projecting trunnions 26 on which are rotatably mounted a pairof cable-guided grooved rollers 27. A stretch of cable F, extendinggenerally tangentially from cable drum A at 28, passes between therollers 27, which are properly spaced toem'brace the cable with aretaining action such as to securely retain the cable guided between therollers while permitting it to freely move axially as it is unrolledfrom and rerolled upon the cable drum A.

The swing D swings freely upon the countershaft C to accommodateshifting movements of the guide E transversely with reference to aradius of drum A so as to follow the lateral shifting of the cablestretch 28 in accordance with changes in the diameter of the cablewindings 29 upon the drum A as the amount of cable wound thereon isincreased or decreased.

Mounted upon the countershaft C between one of the hanger arms 11 andthe opposed bracket is a sprocket cluster 31 consisting of integrallyconnected sprockets one of which drives through a chain 32 to a sprocket33 on one end of the scroll shaft 16. The other sprocket of cluster 31is driven by a chain 34 which in turn is driven by a sprocket 35 on oneend of the cable drum A (FIG. 2).

The ratio of drive from the drum A to the scroll shaft 16 is so relatedto the pitch of the worm groove 23 of shaft 16, the average diameter ofthe cable wound periphery of drum winding 29 and the thickness of thecable so that the guide unit B will travel axially with respect to thedrum A at a rate such as to lay the cable in even turns upon the drumwith the consecutive turns closely adjacent, the winding proceedingprogressively from one end of the drum to the other and then back. Asthe diameter of the wound body 29 of the cable increases, the swing Dwill swing toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2, and as the cable isunwound and the diameter decreases, the swing will move leftwardly tofollow the shifting movements of the cable stretch 28 as it remainstangent to the periphery of the wound body 29 throughout the changes indiameter thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown therein a modified formof the invention in which a pair of mounting arms 40 are pivotallymounted upon the respective ends of shaft 41 of the drum A, and whereina scroll shaft 16 is mounted in bearings a secured to the ends of therespective arms 40. A follower carriage a is mounted upon the shaft 16and is provided with a pair of cable guide rollers 27 between which thecable stretch 28 extends. Carriage 20a is free to rotate around thescroll shaft 16 except as restrained by the engagement of the cablestretch 28 between the rollers 27. It will assume a position in whichthe axes of the roller trunnions 26 are disposed substantially normal tothe cable stretch 28, and as the angular position of the stretch 28changes in accordance with variations in diameter of the cable woundperiphery of the drum A, the carriage 20a will tilt slightly about theshaft 16 to maintain the normal relationship of its roller axes to thecable stretch 28.

The scroll shaft 16 is driven directly from the drum A through a directchain drive indicated generally at.42.

I claim:

1. Sewer cleaning drag bucket hoist apparatus comprising: acable-winding drum; a guide for receiving a stretch of cable extendingtangentially from the drum; a double-helix scroll shaft on which saidguide is mounted for reciprocating movement in response to rotationthereof; means supporting said scroll shaftin a position parallel to theaxis of said drum, said supporting means being movable transversely withreference to a radius of said drum to eflect shifting movements of saidguide so as to follow movements of said cable stretch corresponding tochanges in the radial distance from the axis of said drum to the pointof tangency of said cable stretch with the cable-wound periphery of thedrum in accordance with changes in the amount of cable wound upon thedrum; and means transmitting rotary drive from the drum to said scrollshaft to rotate the same in timed relation to drum rotation, said scrollshaft supporting means being disposed above said drum and comprising aswing and fixed supporting pivot means from which said swing isfree-hanging, depending toward the drum with its lower portion clearingthe upper side of the drum, said scroll shaft being mounted in saidlower portion of the swing.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide comprises afollower carriage geared to said scroll shaft and having a roller-mountprojecting horizontally away from said scroll shaft and a pair ofgrooved rollers mounted on said roller-mount on substantially horizontalaxes transverse to said scroll shaft, said rollers engaging between themthe stretch of cable adjacent said drum; and guide means cooperatingwith said scroll shaft to support said follower carriage in asubstantially horizontal position for travel along said scroll shaftwhen said swing is downwardly pendant.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said guide means comprises asmooth guide shaft mounted in said lower portion of the swing inparallel, adjacent, spaced relation to said scroll shaft, said scrollshaft and guide shaft both extending through said follower carriage.

4. Sewer cleaning drag bucket apparatus comprising: a frame; acable-winding drum mounted thereon for rotation; a cable wound upon saiddrum and having a stretch thereof extending tangentially from the drum;a guide engaging said cable in guiding relation thereto; a doublehelixscroll shaft geared to said guide for reciprocating it axially of saidshaft so as to guide the cable in the winding thereof onto the drum;means mounting said scroll shaft and guide for rotation of said shaftand for reciprocation of the guide; means supporting said mounting meanson said frame for free movement of said guide in a path generallytransverse with reference to a radius of said drum to follow shiftingmovements of said cable stretch in accordance with changes in the radiusof the cable-wound periphery of the drum; and means for transmittingrotary drive to the scroll shaft in timed relation to rotation of thedrum, said supporting means comprising a countershaft supported on theframe above said drum and parallel to its axis, and hanger armssuspended from said countershaft and carrying said mounting means attheir lower extremities for swinging movement above and adjacent to theperiphery of the drum.

5. Cable winding apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said drivetransmitting means comprises a cluster of rotatable driving elements onsaid countershaft, means for transmitting drive from the drum to one ofsaid cluster elements, and means for transmitting drive from the othercluster element to said scroll shaft.

6. Sewer cleaning drag bucket apparatus comprising: a frame; acable-winding drum mounted thereon for rotation; a cable wound upon saiddrum and having a stretch thereof extending tangentially from the drum;a countershaft supported by said frame above said drum and parallel toits axis; a swing suspended from said countershaft, said swing includingbearing means at its lower extremity; a double-helix scroll shaftjournalled in said bearing means parallel to the axis of said drum andabove the periphery thereof; a guide bar mounted in said swing inlaterally-spaced, parallel relation to said scroll shaft; a guidecarriage slidably mounted on said scroll shaft and said guide bar andhaving a drive-receiving connection with said scroll shaft such as to bereciprocated in response to rotation thereof; guide means on saidcarriage, in guiding engagement with said cable stretch; and means fortransmitting rotary drive to said scroll shaft, such as to reciprocatesaid guide means so as to guide the cable back and forth from end to endof the drum as it is wound thereon; said swing being free for swingingmovement on said countershaft, such as to effect movement of said guidetransversely with reference to a radius of the drum, thereby to followthe shifting of said cable stretch in accordance with changes indiameter of the cable-wound periphery of the drum. 1

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said guide means comprises apair of grooved rollers mounted on said guide carriage for free rotationand in embracing, guiding relation to said cable stretch.

8. Sewer cleaning drag bucket apparatus comprising: a frame; acable-winding drum mounted thereon for rotation; a cable wound upon saiddrum and having a stretch thereof extending tangentially from the drum;a countershaft supported 'by said frame above said drum and parallel toits axis; a swing mounted on said countershaft for free-swingingmovement, said swing extending toward said drum and having bearing meansat its swinging end; a double-helix scroll shaft journalled in saidbearing means parallel to the axis of said drum and in opposed relationto the periphery thereof; a guide bar mounted in said swing inlaterally-spaced, parallel relation to said scroll shaft; a guidecarriage slidably mounted on said scroll shaft and said guide bar andhaving a drivereceiving connection with said scroll shaft such as to bereciprocated in response to rotation thereof; guide means on saidcarriage, in guiding engagement with said cable stretch; and means fortransmitting rotary drive to said scroll shaft, such as to reciprocatesaid guide means so as to guide the cable back and forth from end to endof the drum as it is wound thereon; said swing being free for swingingmovement on said countershaft, such as to eifect movement of said guidetransversely with reference to a radius of the drum, thereby to followthe shifting of said cable stretch in accordance with changes indiameter of the cable-wound periphery of the drum.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said drivetransmitting meanscomprises a cluster of rotatable driving elements on said countershaft,means for transmitting drive from the drum to one of said clusterelements, and means for transmitting drive from the other clusterelement to said scroll shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,763,871 6/1930Taylor 242157.1 1,797,331 3/1931 Dale 242158.3 1,917,640 7/1933Fairbanks 242157.1 2,660,382 11/1953 Wilson 242157.1 X 2,919,868 1/1960Frate 242-1583 FOREIGN PATENTS 125,424 9/1947 Australia.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

1. SEWER CLEANING DRAG BUCKET HOIST APPARATUS COMPRISING: ACABLE-WINDING DRUM; A GUIDE FOR RECEIVING A STRETCH OF CABLE EXTENDINGTANGENTIALLY FROM THE DRUM; A DOUBLE-HELIX SCROLL SHAFT ON WHICH SAIDGUIDE IS MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO ROTATIONTHEREOF; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SCROLL SHAFT IN A POSITION PARALLEL TOTHE AXIS OF SAID DRUM, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEING MOVABLE TRANVERSELYWITH REFERENCE TO A RADIUS OF SAID DRUM TO EFFECT SHIFTING MOVEMENTS OFSAID GUIDE SO AS TO FOLLOW MOVEMENTS OF SAID CABLE STRETCH CORRESPONDINGTO CHANGES IN THE RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF SAID DRUM TO THEPOINT OF TANGENCY OF SAID CABLE STRETCH WITH THE CABLE-WOUND PERIPHERYOF THE DRUM IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHANGES IN THE AMOUNT OF CABLE WOUND UPONTHE DRUM; AND MEANS TRANSMITTING ROTARY DRIVE FROM THE DRUM TO SAIDSCROLL SHAFT TO ROTATE THE SAME IN TIMED RELATION TO DRUM ROTATION, SAIDSCROLL SHAFT SUPPORTING MEANS BEING DISPOSED ABOVE SAID DRUM ANDCOMPRISING A SWING AND FIXED SUPPORTING PIVOT MEANS FROM WHICH SAIDSWING IS FREE-HANGING, DEPENDING TOWARD THE DRUM WITH ITS LOWER PORTIONCLEARING THE UPPER SIDE OF THE DRUM, SAID SCROLL SHAFT BEING MOUNTED INSAID LOWER PORTION OF THE SWING.